Leslie Nielsen attends Spanish Movie premiere at Kinepolis cinema on December 3, 2009 in Madrid
Legendary comedy actor Leslie Nielsen, known for starring in “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” film franchise, died Sunday of complications from pneumonia.
According to The Associated Press, his agent, John S. Kelly, said Nielsen died at a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he was being treated for pneumonia. He died surrounded by family including his wife, Barbaree, and friends.
His family released a statement, which said, “We are sadden by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television.”
Nielsen leaves two daughters, Thea and Maura, from a previous marriage.
In addition to his acting ability, Nielsen was highly adept at making realistic “palm fart” sounds with his hands and those who know him say he loved to do this in a crowded elevator followed by a sheepish “pardon me”.